Heralds of spring: Lilies remain Easter tradition
MetroCreative
White lilies, grown along the California-Oregon border, are the most traditional flower associated with Easter.
The Lily, typically the flower of Easter, derives its name from Lilium longiflorum, a native to the Ryukyu islands of southern Japan.
As heralds of spring, Easter flowers have come to symbolize a season of rebirth, hope and love around the world.
White lilies are by far the most traditional grown in an area along the California-Oregon border where about 95 percent of all the bulbs in the world are produced.
Today, the Pacific Bulb Growers Association produces more than 65,000 boxes of bulbs, shipping them to commercial greenhouses in the U.S. and Canada, according to Penn State Extension.
Almost 600 acres are planted to produce Easter lily bulbs, worth about $7 million a year.
Bulbs are harvested in the fall, packed and shipped to commercial greenhouses where they are planted in pots and forced under controlled conditions to bloom for the Easter holiday.
Neubauer’s Flowers in Uniontown purchases their lilies from a greenhouse in Butler County owned by a family friend that has been in business for multiple generations.
Uniontown shop owner Steve Neubauer noted that bulbs are pre-cooled before they are transferred to a greenhouse needing about 40 days of temperatures at 40 degrees or below to promote growth.
He said other spring flowers that usher in the season with a burst of color like tulips, hyacinth, hydrangea and daffodils are also popular in various settings such as churches.
“Lilies are still traditional for Easter, but people enjoy the colors and fragrances of spring,” said Neubauer.
The Lily derives its name from Lilium longiflorum, a native to the Ryukyu islands of southern Japan.
Penn State reports the flower was first discovered by the famous plant explorer Carl Peter Thunberg in 1777 and sent to England in 1819.
Missionaries and sailors further carried it to Bermuda in 1853.
However, when a virus destroyed the crop in 1898, production moved to Japan where it continued until the outbreak of World War II.
Bulbs then became scarce and drove up the price.
World War I soldier, Louis Houghton, is credited with starting Easter Lily production in the U.S. when he brought a suitcase full of bulbs with him to the southern coast of Oregon in 1919.
He gave them away to friends and when the supply of bulbs from Japan was cut off as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the rising price suddenly made the lily business a viable industry for hobby growers and earned the bulbs the nickname, “White Gold.”
Neubauer said lilies, like other spring flowers, can be replanted, especially during a year when Easter comes early.
However, Neubauer said the plants may take a year to acclimate to the soil and climate because it is not their natural blooming cycle.
Penn State provides the following tips for planting lily bulbs:
n Keep the lily away from drafts and drying heat sources such as appliances or heating ducts. Bright, indirect light is best with daytime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees Farenheit.
Water the plant only when the soil feels dry, but don’t over water.
n To prolong the life of the blossoms, remove the yellow anthers found in the center of each flower.
n Replant outside after the blooms are gone. Select a sunny site with well-drained soil. Plant the bulb about six-inches below the surface, cut off the faded flowers and leave the stem and leaves.
n Cut back the stem after it dies down in the fall, then cut it off at the soil surface. After the soil surface freezes in late fall, mulch the soil and do not remove the mulch until new growth begins in the spring.